Letter with ricin sent to Roger Wicker

An envelope sent to the Washington, D.C., office of Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) included a substance that has tested positive for the toxic substance ricin.

The Senate mail facility on Tuesday notified the U.S. Capitol Police that it had received an envelope containing “a white granular substance,” according to a release. The envelope “was immediately quarantined” at the off-site facility, and Capitol Police hazardous material personnel responded.

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“Preliminary tests indicate the substance found was Ricin,” said the police statement, which was released late Tuesday night. “The material is being forwarded to an accredited laboratory for further analysis.”

The Capitol Police says it is partnering with the FBI for an “ongoing investigation.” The statement added that the Capitol complex has not been affected.

The U.S. Senate mail facility is currently closed for more testing — all mail bound for Capitol Hill is now being directed through a U.S. House facility.

The letter was postmarked Memphis, Tenn., and had no suspicious markings or return address, according to a message sent to congressional staffers by Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer. Gainer indicated that the Senate mail facility would be closed for two to three days “while testing and the law enforcement investigation continues.”

The Senate went into recess shortly after 6 p.m. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FBI Director Robert Mueller began briefing senators shortly afterward about the incident. A Homeland Security official said that the briefing was intended to address cybersecurity but that the subject pivoted after the ricin substance was discovered.

All congressional mail is screened ever since Capitol Hill-bound letters laced with anthrax were discovered in October 2001, which contributed to the death of five people and infected 17 more. Senate offices were closed for several days in 2004 when ricin was found in the offices of then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).